When we’re out hiking, lunch is often a pretty quick affair. We rarely want to dig into our packs, break out the stove and cookware, and cook a warm meal for ourselves (much less clean dishes afterward!).

Instead, we find ourselves drawn to backpacking meal ideas that are “assembled” rather than “cooked.” And for us, this Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken Salad Wrap hits just the right spot!

All it takes is a few minutes to prepare this meal (and the cleanup is even faster!). So if you’re struggling to come up with ideas for backpacking lunch, this is a great one to try.

Cashew Chicken Salad Wrap Ingredients

Pre-Cooked Chicken: You can use chopped home-cooked chicken breast (stored in a small tupperware) if you’re taking this wrap on a day hike, or bring along a pouch of chicken if you’re planning this as a backpacking meal.

Cashews: Chopped roasted cashews give this wrap a wonderful crunch, so don’t skip them! Trader Joe’s always has great prices on nuts, or you can pick them up in the bulk section of your grocery store.

Mayo: Nothing is worse than a dry chicken salad wrap, but mayo is here to save the day! These individual packets are perfect for backpacking and hiking trips.

Honey: Adding a little sweetness to balance the spice, a packet or two of honey really rounds out this chicken salad.

Sriracha: Add as much or as little as your palate desires. You can buy single serving Sriracha packets for backpacking here.

Cilantro: For backpacking, opt for dried cilantro. If you’re bringing this on a day hike, you can mix some freshly chopped cilantro with the chicken for better flavor.

Wraps: Any wrap or flour tortilla will do!

How to Make Cashew Chicken Salad Wraps

Making this wrap really could not be easier. Simply mix the chicken (drained, if using pouch chicken) with the mayo, honey, Sriracha, and cilantro, then spoon the chicken salad into the wrap. Roll it up burrito style and lunch is ready!

If you’re making this for a day hike and you don’t have to rely on shelf-stable food as you would on a backpacking trip, the chicken salad can be prepared at home and stored in a small Tupperware. Pack the wraps separately so they don’t get soggy during your hike.

Other Backpacking Lunch & Snack Ideas

Sweet + Spicy Cashew Chicken Wrap

This sweet & spicy chicken wrap is a quick and easy backpacking lunch idea that will fill you up and get you back out on the trail in no time.

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

At home, place the cashews, honey, mayo, Sriracha packets, cilantro, and salt into a bag. Pack this bag along with the chicken pouch and the cashews.

In camp, drain the chicken if needed. Add the cashews, honey, mayo, Sriracha, cilantro, and salt to the chicken and stir to combine. Spoon the chicken mixture into the tortillas. Roll them up burrito style and enjoy!

*Nutrition info is an estimate based on information provided by myfitnesspal.com

backpacking food, backpacking meal

*As with all of our backpacking recipes, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND you test and try out this recipe at home before taking it out on a trip. Nobody wants to find out they don’t like a particular flavor combination out in the backcountry when they have no alternatives. Be smart, test your backpacking meals ahead of time.